Designer insight: Laura Perron
Posted by Huwbot,
Many LEGO set designers use our BrickLists feature to maintain a list of the sets they've worked on and often provide interesting insights about their involvement.
Once a week we publish an entry from one of their lists on the home page to increase awareness of this information and to encourage more designers to create them.
Laura Perron wrote this about their work on 41921 Extra DOTS - Series 3:
This pack is different from the previous 2 in the series, because it brings in two new elements. The first is a round tile (light lavender) with a raised star (transparent pink) in the center. The second is a square tile (dark blue) with a raised diamond (clear opalescent). These raised tiles add a great shimmer effect to your LEGO builds! Credit for the amazing graphic design goes to Diego Lopez Sancho.
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15 comments on this article
I really like all the printed and sparkly tiles in these packs, but I just have absolutely no idea how to use them in my Lego city.
@Zordboy said:
"I really like all the printed and sparkly tiles in these packs, but I just have absolutely no idea how to use them in my Lego city. "
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Dots were marketed really badly.
These should never be girls only.
Where were the Ninjago bracelets? The Dino bracelets? At least we got space one...
These Dots packs were a great and affordable source of many unique and interesting tiles and pieces.
I was about to say that it's a shame that today's hadn't been a Christmas set (and Laura Perron was actually on the team that designed 4002023), but you could definitely use a DOTS pack for Christmas decorations; ornaments on minifig-scale trees (there's an idea for you, @Zordboy) and such. In retrospect, wouldn't a DOTS Christmas ornament set have been cool?
@Zordboy said:
"I really like all the printed and sparkly tiles in these packs, but I just have absolutely no idea how to use them in my Lego city. "
My son mixed these with 41803 then put them all over my 75870, then named it. It's awesome.
@lordofdragonss
"Dots were marketed really badly.
These should never be girls only. "
My sons are little and love colorful, glitter, sparkles, rainbows, etc., so DOTS and Friends sets are really up their alley, and they still enjoy customizing the bracelets and using these pieces for some pizzazz. At least younger boys will look at these as fun rather than just fun for girls unless you tell them otherwise.
Merry Christmas, Laura!
Had they released the Mickey and potter sets sooner they may have been better. Star wars and marvel certainly could've helped it along. Now you could've added Mario/nintendo and sonic ones. That'd probably have kept it going. Kinda like they do with CMF'S.
I highly recommend reading through Laura's Bricklist, as it gives a lot of interesting and amusing information about the Dots theme.
My absolute favorite part was that 41950, the successor to 41935 Lots of Dots, was originally pitched as "2 LOTS 2 DOTS!!"
@dudebrick said:
" @Zordboy said:
"I really like all the printed and sparkly tiles in these packs, but I just have absolutely no idea how to use them in my Lego city. "
My son mixed these with 41803 then put them all over my 75870, then named it. It's awesome.
@lordofdragonss
"Dots were marketed really badly.
These should never be girls only. "
My sons are little and love colorful, glitter, sparkles, rainbows, etc., so DOTS and Friends sets are really up their alley, and they still enjoy customizing the bracelets and using these pieces for some pizzazz. At least younger boys will look at these as fun rather than just fun for girls unless you tell them otherwise."
I had an upbringing not dissimilar to that. (In the 90s!) Parents like you deserve so much credit.
@Spritetoggle said:
" @dudebrick said:
" @Zordboy said:
"I really like all the printed and sparkly tiles in these packs, but I just have absolutely no idea how to use them in my Lego city. "
My son mixed these with 41803 then put them all over my 75870, then named it. It's awesome.
@lordofdragonss
"Dots were marketed really badly.
These should never be girls only. "
My sons are little and love colorful, glitter, sparkles, rainbows, etc., so DOTS and Friends sets are really up their alley, and they still enjoy customizing the bracelets and using these pieces for some pizzazz. At least younger boys will look at these as fun rather than just fun for girls unless you tell them otherwise."
I had an upbringing not dissimilar to that. (In the 90s!) Parents like you deserve so much credit."
Indeed. I've long said that if I had kids, and they wanted a particular toy, there are various reasons I might not get it (too expensive, inappropriate subject matter, too complex for small children, etc.), but "That's not for boys/girls" wouldn't be one of them. But then, I'm a forty-three-year old man who's been enjoying Friends since it came out, so that would be hypocritical of me, anyway.
Really enjoyed this insight into the DOTS process! Makes me even sadder that it’s ending - have really enjoyed making meditative designs with some of the smaller builds, and think I gave 41906 as a 9th/10th birthday present to nearly every kid my kid is friends with.
Laura, thanks so much for your thoughts - great to see that DOTS lives on in your more recent designs! @Brickset team, thanks so much for this series - it’s one of my favourites!
My son just received this exact set as a gift last night among his presents from a cousin. Couldn't believe our family member found it in stores recently.
I've bought dozens and dozens of these tiles packs throughout the run of them and am very saddened to see it discontinued.
I have plans on buying another box of the Dots lettering tiles before that disappears for good as well. As a mosaic builder, they are so versatile and necessary. During our LUG Secret Santa gift exchange I was able to find the last series on sale and gift these to a friend who enjoyed receiving them as we both have mosaic building in common.
Not to take away from Laura's talent as a designer but her husband, Chris, is also a LEGO designer as well...best known for the 2021 Buzz Lightyear XL-15 :)
@winbrant said:
"Not to take away from Laura's talent as a designer but her husband, Chris, is also a LEGO designer as well...best known for the 2021 Buzz Lightyear XL-15 :)"
So nice that they were able to work together on 21336.